Aggressive Negotiations
by Quicksilver Falcon
Summary: In a desperate attempt to end the war, Renee makes Howlyn an offer he can't refuse. Based on a concept by DonnaLynn MF,UST,WIP,Xeno


Disclaimer: i>Earth: Final Conflict /i> and its related characters and concepts belong to whoever made the show. I claim neither credit for them nor profit from this fanfic.

This story is based on a concept by Donna Lynn; used with permission.

b> u> center>Aggressive Negotiations /b> /u>

Chapter One

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It was a simple way to live, really, war was. Us versus Them. If somebody hurts Us, then They pay for it. Blood for blood. Easy.

Only that approach made the whole world bleed, and it was all the same shade of red, and Renee couldn't tell between ours and theirs anymore, and it felt like she was drowning in oceans of blood.

And it was always the innocent who suffered the most.

A baby, crying as its mother fell to her death. Renee's best friend Street, her eyes flashing hybrid black. Every hybrid she had ever killed had left behind parents and sibs, friends and lovers. Many of those people would never even know what had happened to their lost ones.

None of them deserved this. It had to stop. She had to stop it. Soon, before any more people got hurt.

And stop it she would. No matter what it took.

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"I'm going to go talk to Howlyn. Try to negotiate a settlement."

"You're _what_?"

"I'm going to bargain with Howlyn for the removal of the Atavus from Earth," Renee answered steadily. So far, Street was reacting about as she'd figured and it was only going to get worse from here. But Renee was sure this was right.

"Bargain with what? You don't have anything Howlyn wants, except…oh. Oh no. No way." The Atavus leader did have a sexual obsession for Renee. It was possibly his only weakness. But he was a monster, and Street hoped to God that she was wrong about her friend's intentions.

"Yeah. I plan to offer myself in exchange for humanity's freedom"

"Have you lost your _mind_? That's the craziest thing I've ever heard! Renee, he's a killer! What you're talking about is _suicide_!"

"Maybe. But it's the only way."

"The Hell it is! Renee, you _don't_ have to do this. We'll beat them. I know we will."

"When? We're barely holding them to a draw now! And even if we could manage to win that won't come for months or years! Meanwhile innocent people continue to die every day! No. I want this ended now. Whatever I might have to give up is a small price to pay for the safety of the whole_ world_."

"But you've _already_ sacrificed so much. And this goes _way_ beyond any responsibility you might have. This is…" Street trailed off, shuddering. Obviously, she thought giving in to Howlyn would be a fate worse than death. That was all right, Renee agreed with her. The problem was, Renee was already in Hell.

"I know. _Believe_ me, I know. And if you have a better idea for getting rid of the Atavus quickly, then I'd like to hear it but ­_this can't go on_."

Hearing the raw anguish in her friend's voice gave Street pause. The redhead sighed. She was going to cave. Again.

"All right. I'm not happy, but I guess it's your choice."

"Good. I'll go pack a few things." Renee got up and headed for the door.

"Wait, let's think about this. Plan. Just because you're determined to martyr yourself is no reason to go off half-cocked."

Renee stopped. "All right, I'm listening."

"Howlyn wants both you and control of the Earth. As long as he thinks it's possible to get both, he's not going to deal, or at least not in good faith. And, given his tendency toward wishful thinking where you're concerned, I don't think anything you say will convince him. I hate to ask, but just how far are you willing to take this?"

"I'd rather die than see Earth enslaved again, and I'll do whatever it takes to convince Howlyn to get his Atavus off our planet," Renee stated firmly.

"Then you're okay with being rigged with a dead man's switch? Something that would kill you if you set it off?"

"Yeah. In fact, give it a big enough boom to kill someone nearby too. That way, I'll have a backup if he says no or tries to welsh."

"It'll have to be an implant, so they can't take it from you. That means we want it to be small. It'll take me a few days to put something like that together."

"And it _must_ be a real explosive. This is too important to bluff."

"Sigh. All right."


End file.
